Cannot retain revision. Stress!

fluffnutter

Luckylucy wrote: »

The question I really struggled on was something along the lines of can someone be a good manager but a poor leader?

Really? Managers just, well, manage. Managing is rarely more than administration. Leaders lead people. They inspire them, motivate them, encourage them, support them, challenge them, bring out the best in people. I could go on...

GreenQueen

For future exams, do you have someone on your course that you could work with, take it in turns to explain things out of your notes and talk through how you would answer sample questions?

It can be difficult for information to go in when you are just reading it, but if you've got to process it and present it to someone else, then you have to understand it.

GQ

springdreams

Luckylucy wrote: »

I !!!! colour. I learn better from linear notes but also use box charts, mind maps, brain storming, reciting etc, revision cards.

This is our first university exam, I had 3 exams at diploma level one was a recall one which I scraped a level two pass in and one was an open book which I got a level 3 Distinction. The last we were allowed to take in 3 lines of notes and I got a level 3 Merit in that one. So there is a huge gap between where I am at with and without notes in front of me.

I answered the previous answer paper but again I couldn't do it from recall with nothing in front of me.

TBH, I couldn't tell you what I gave my daughter for breakfast this morning or got her dressed in. Even though I only saw her 30 mins ago!

I prefer to use linear notes and colour to study.

As someone who has sat over 40 university exams, all of them whilst also still working full time and without benefit of lectures, I can tell you that memory retention is a matter of practice. There is no magic solution.

Perhaps you are trying to do too many revision methods for any of them to actually be effective for you. Choose one.

What I do is:

Read one chapter of the material I need to revise.

Read through the chapter again and underline the important points in pencil.

Read through again and write down the important points in my own words.

Read my own notes and highlight the key words with a highlighter.

Before I start on the next chapter, I read through my hand written notes one more time, then do the above steps for the next chapter.

Two weeks before the exams I read through all of my hand written notes again, and transcribe the key words onto index cards. I then read the index cards every day.

I don't spend time trying to answer past papers - this is precious time that you could be using to fine tune your own notes. Instead, I read through the questions of the past papers and the model answer or examiner's comments, and make notes of any topic that comes up fairly frequently, then make sure I include that topic in my studies.

The benefit of trying to answer a past paper is to help you practice answering a paper under exam conditions within the time allocated. Only do this if you have time to spare.

Another very important thing to do is to make sure you are aware of what subject matter you should be focussing on. I have made the mistake of trying to study entire text books, yet the exam was only going to be on certain sections of it. Follow the recommended course outline - that way you are more likely to study the material that is relevant, and not be bogged down with stuff you don't need to know.

When studying, intially start with 45 minutes of revision, and a 15 minute break. Your brain needs time to absorb what you are trying to get it to remember. In time, increase this to an hour revision with a 10 minute break. Any longer, and the brain becomes too bogged down with information, so very little is retained. Think of it as a sponge - when a sponge is saturated with liquid it can eventually hold no more, and the excess will not be retained.

HTH

tyllwyd

Luckylucy wrote: »

... TBH, I couldn't tell you what I gave my daughter for breakfast this morning or got her dressed in. Even though I only saw her 30 mins ago!

Honestly? You really can't remember anything from an hour ago? If that is true, can't you reconstruct it - what does she normally eat for breakfast? You must know that, or how else do you know what to buy when you go shopping? If you think back, can you picture yourself making something for her - was it your normal routine? Even if your actual memory of breakfast isn't clear, can you use your normal routine, or memories of other days to work out a sensible answer?


Unless you have a genuine problem, I think the sticking point might be more that you have convinced yourself that you can't work from memory. Rather than messing around with coloured pens and all the rest of it, I'd be concentrating on practising using your memory, or using logical thinking to get to a point where it does trigger a memory. Rather than just writing a couple of paragraphs and panicking in the exam, why didn't you write a page of bullet notes? You might have been able to go back and pick up enough information from your bullet notes to construct a more logical argument.

Luckylucy

Honestly I don't know why my memory is so bad, the counsellor said it might be from trauma ive experienced? Whether that's true or not I am not sure I think I should just be put down really. :rotfl: I try to do things like put my keys in the same place every day or write things in my diary but I still always forget them/forget where they are.

OH almost had a meltdown at the amount of times I lost a mobile phone somewhere away from home. For a couple of years I didn't have a phone that cost more than £10 because I was losing them roughly every fortnight. Then I got a smartphone and I don't lose it now *touch wood* I think because I do so much on it.

I didn't go into the exam without a plan I had already pre worked out my time. I got stressed in the exam when things were starting to go wrong but I had tried to really be positive and pysch myself up before I went in.

My plan was:

(9.30 - 9.40) Read all questions, pick which two to answer, de construct, highlight and note the key words.

(9.40 - 9.50) Make notes, bullet points, Key words, rough sentences etc... on question

(9.50 - 10.40) Write answer

(10.40 - 10.50) Make notes etc... as above for Q2

(10.50 - 11.40) Write answer

(11.40 - 12.00) wrap up, grammer and spell check make sure it flows correctly, cross out notes < Said to do this on paper.

I went in to see the gent from SPLD department today and spoke to him, He's printed off my screening for mit circs so I can ask/beg for a resit in august and my working memory is 7/9 (9 being the worst) and my word construction is 5/9.

It says "weaknesses shown in Word Construction and Working Memory tests. Although LADS results overall are Borderline, the tests results suggest some problems that are unexpected in view of estimated above average general ability.

Refer to EQS for full assessment for Dyspreaxia and ADHD."

I've been bumped up the list and I am now booked in for my full assessment on the 3rd Feb, They have also let me know about the extra support sessions for Dsylexia etc... and I start those in a couple of weeks 2 1/2 hours on a Wednesday afternoon.

There was somewhere an improve your memory course online that I found but don't think I bookmarked it so now I have 2 weeks before we are back in lectures I am going to start doing that every day I am not at work and start reading the core texts for the new modules we have starting to try and get myself ahead.

Also I do try and reconstruct, I am pretty sure she had an orange and a cereal bar because we are nearly out of both. But I can't remember the process of giving them to her, Clothing wise I know she is in her brown boots and her coat because she is in them everyday but I have no idea what else she is wearing. Oh and I know her hair is down because I have the hair band on my wrist.

Thanks for all the tips on revising! I am really going to have a look on how I am doing it and you are right I am probably trying to do too many things, which isn't helping.

FR_262

Sorry to hear it went badly. I think you should have stayed in the exam though. Your memory might just have come back in a sudden rush as has happened tome several times once I've calmed down.

I failed my first year physics at uni. It was just after my Dad dies and I couldn't concentrate on anything. I'm sure you'll find Uni are understanding if you have a real problem as you seem to have.

fluffnutter

I had to re-read the first post because I was curious what course the OP's studying. No doubt I'll come across as a right meanie but I despair that someone who's studying for a degree doesn't know how to revise well and can't think what difference there might be between a manager and a leader.

A degree, fgs. Are people being completed failed at secondary school?? How can you get to university without having devised some sort of revision technique that works and having a modicum of common sense?

pollypenny

I've also wondered how the OP managed to study before her degree.

Surely any good A-level, or Access course, tutor would teach both revision and exam strategies.

Luckylucy

fluffnutter wrote: »

I had to re-read the first post because I was curious what course the OP's studying. No doubt I'll come across as a right meanie but I despair that someone who's studying for a degree doesn't know how to revise well and can't think what difference there might be between a manager and a leader.

A degree, fgs. Are people being completed failed at secondary school?? How can you get to university without having devised some sort of revision technique that works and having a modicum of common sense?

Is there any reason to be so nasty?

Secondary schools are probably failing, Teaching all of the pupils how to get through the tests, without helping them to learn anything. I use the revision tools at my disposal that are most effective for me, unfortunately they are not overly effective in the end because of my difficulties.

Management is a leadership role, part of the job is motivating your team and getting the expected levels of work from your subordinates that your leader expects from you and up the chain. Can you really be a 'good' manager and a 'poor' leader?

I understood perfectly fine. What I struggled with, which I have already said was being able to back it up with theories and case studies because I can't recall the revision.

Do you generally consider people with learning disabilities to be without a 'Modicum of common sense' :rotfl:

Luckylucy

pollypenny wrote: »

I've also wondered how the OP managed to study before her degree.

Surely any good A-level, or Access course, tutor would teach both revision and exam strategies.

Access Diploma, All taught which I have used as mentioned above. I am not forgetting the information because I haven't revised or haven't been taught to revise. It's just not sticking in my head.

Ask me a question which I can answer by talking and I could speak you an essay, get me to write it from memory recall and I don't remember a thing.